Plasterk takes note of TiP-report

POSTED: 08/27/13 12:42 PM

THE HAGUE – Minister of Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk has taken note of the recommendations to St. Maarten, Aruba and Curacao in the Trafficking in Persons Report from the American State Department, Jamila Baaziz reports on Caribisch Netwerk.
This appears from answers from the parliamentary committee for Kingdom Relations.
The report is an ‘American initiative and therefore cannot be a legal yardstick’ for the policy to prevent human trafficking and smuggling, the minister said. The islands will take over the recommendations ‘where necessary’.
“The Netherlands holds strong values about the fight against human trafficking,” Plasterk wrote. “In the context of the collaboration between the islands within the Dutch Kingdom, the Netherlands will contribute to that.” The minister refers to the role of the Coast Guard, the Detective Collaboration Team (RST) and the Marechaussee who also working on the prevention against human trafficking. “These initiatives show that St. Maarten, Aruba and Curacao in collaboration with the Netherlands need to take important steps in the fight against human trafficking and smuggling.”
On June 20, 2011, the Ministers of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, St. Maarten and the Netherlands signed a new agreement for cooperation in preventing and combating human trafficking and smuggling